Anvilhold

Anvilhold is the origin and home of Clan Anvilbender, one of the twelve primary families of the Mror Holds. The Anvilbenders are more rough around the edge than some of the more polished and political dwarvish clans, favoring grit and grease over intrigue and intelligence. Clan Anvilbender is currently led by Lord Creighton Anvilbender.  

History

Anvilhold was carved into the bones of the southern Ironroot Mountains over 2,000 years ago, originally a modest mining outpost for raw ores and dragonshards. Over centuries, it transformed into a center of master-forging, drawing fame for its brutal efficiency and unmatched craftsmanship. Clan Anvilbender gained prominence during the War of Ice and Ash, where their weapons armed half the Mror Holds and turned the tide in several inter-clan feuds.   Unlike more insular dwarven strongholds, Anvilhold has always had a transactional and martial edge. Their doors are open to those with gold or skill to trade, but their forges never burn for free.   After the dwarves reclaimed the Mror Holds from the orcs and goblins of Dhakaani descent, Anvilhold rose as a strategic and economic keystone of the southern Holds. It brokered weapons deals, protected trade routes, and refined the tools needed by dwarves everywhere.   Recently, the Anvilbenders, along with the other dwarven clans, discovered something far under the mountains - the remnants of an ancient dwarven empire. Before the tunnels were sealed due to the dangers presented, fragments of the old empire were recovered, pointing to old forging and crafting techniques forgotten to time.  

Notable Locations

Ember Vaults

The heart of Anvilhold. A massive forge-complex built around a bound fire elemental. Master smiths here weapons and tools needed throughout Anvilhold and the Mror Holds at large. Apprentices compete yearly for the right to work the Ember Forge for a single month.

Hearth of the Forgefire

A vast, vaulted chamber carved from volcanic glass and obsidian-veined stone. The twelve braziers at its center represent the twelve clans of the Mror Holds, with Clan Anvilbender the largest at the center. Their flames cast a warm glow across stone columns etched with ancestral runes and gold-inlaid clan emblems. Only used for great occasions — clan victories, oath renewals, seasonal turning points, and returning warbands — the Emberhall is a place of reverence, revelry, and raucous tradition.

Riven Market

A rugged, open-air stone marketplace where armorers, weaponsmiths, and traders barter over raw ore, enchanted alloys, and battle-tested goods. A few surface-dwellers brave the long journey for access to its unique smithing materials.

Sootstained Tankard

Carved into black stone and reinforced with thick iron bands, The Sootstained Tankard gets its name from the ever-present layer of forge soot on the walls and the taste of smoke that lingers in its brew. The ceiling is low, the hearths are huge, and the furniture looks like it was made to survive a siege. Weapon racks line the walls, and the center of the tavern is dominated by a pit ringed in iron where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way: with fists and pride.